This has been a subdued week for K-ent after the Itaewon Halloween tragedy naturally led to show postponements and event cancellations. KBS went ahead and premiered new Mon-Tues drama Curtain Call but did cancel the press conference, and in the end the drama is probably facing an uphill battle every which way. The first episode got an okay 7.1% but due to a delayed baseball game going on on Tuesday the second episode took a nosedive off ratings cliff down to 3.1%. While there is a reason behind it I feel this drama isn’t as captivating right off the start as another drama that went for the same old school vibes with stirring North-South separation themes. Yes, I’m talking about Crash Landing on You which while hokey did it in an entertaining way. Here it’s just sad and mopey and the whole fake grandson bit at least isn’t calculating but done so a dying grandmother can leave this earth without that one big lingering regret. Ha Ji Won is doing a great job as the female lead, she looks fantastic here and the character suits her, but Kang Ha Neul doesn’t have a fleshed out character yet and I’m worried about the chemistry between the leads and how to thread the needle on a romance when he’s pretending to be her first cousin. I’ll keep watching for now but it’s not a homerun out of the gate.
With the fake grandson trope, I feel like rewatching “My Girl” with Lee Da Hae.
I’m going to be honest – she looks like his hip aunt. I don’t buy them as a couple at all.
Yes the first two episodes pretty draggy and slow. But scenes involving Kang Ha Neul is ok. I think Ha Ji Won is fine too. But when she keeps a straight face, she looks haggard.
I think they ply on too much powder on her face making her look pale when they should make it dewy and fresh.
I haven’t seen the premier week yet but I have just one comment – my god HJW hasn’t aged from K2H. That was exactly 10 years ago and she looks exactly the same?!? That’s bananas!
I really liked this old Kdrama feeling watching these 2 episodes. The characters are interesting, not just clichés of rich people. I’m really waiting for the next episode to see the fake grandson meeting his new family! The casting is really good!
Just seeing the photos here, what on earth happened to Ha Ji Won? Why her face is like that had just experienced injecting Botox. Omg, she is known for having a vampire beauty but here her skin is stretching upward so much. I hope it is only in photos here, I have not visited the drama yet so I couldn’t comment about the story building.
Lol this comment section is exactly the reason why Asian entertainment will always lag behind the West. The constant hyper-focus on looks above everything. And always the comments abt the FL from other women – internalised misogyny and sexism much? You got an A lister in ha ji won with a potentially interesting storyline and her looks are all ppl are commenting on. Lol never change.
@Anne, what makes me sad is that because of the competition with young actresses and viewers, beautiful actresses are forced to get some work done even a lightly one when they could have aged beautifully .But i still like Ha Ji Won as i always like her voice, her gaze . If Knetizens happen one day to see the french actresses who are leading the ratings ( over 20% for each episode) in France nowadays , they would faint . Audrey Fleurot, Corinne Masiero, Cécile Blois,Sara Mortensen, Lola Dewaere…
Thank you. And not just older actresses. Commentera here, especially women, are way too comfortable talking sh*t about young actresses. Same with KPop and the whole “visual” thing 🤦♀️
Sure, it’s human nature to like beauty, but I’ve only seen this level of obsession with looks with asian drama fans. Remember the fiasco because apparently Kim Go Eun wasn’t “pretty enough” to be LMH’s leading lady? Plus all the bashing Song Hye Kyo gets for her looks despite being one of the most beautiful korean actresses.
You’re 100% right and it’s sickening how misogynistic women can also be
As a woman, i recognize that women tend to be more harsh towards other women !
Watched the 1st 2 eps. Not impressed. And what was with people standing in knee deep water beside a big warship. That big ship would never have made it to sea from that shallow water.
Hajiwon’s acting in the war flashback lacked intensity and energy for me. Like I wasn’t convinced she was in the middle of a war and trying to escape it. Kang Hanuel acting was on point. Hjw was just limp and uninspiring.
Seriously shaking my head at some of the comments here. First off, who gives a flying fishcake if anyone had botox! Agree with @cahill that many of the leading French actresses (and other Western actresses) are aging beautifully, but there are also lots who have done lots of work on their faces, but in other countries it causes nothing more than mild curiosity! I can think of no other entertainment scene (except possibly China) where people not only scrutinize it but warring fandoms also use it to put each others’ faves down!
@PlainDramaStan: Not that there’s anything wrong with using Botox, but I highly doubt Ha Ji Won does. You can’t judge from photos alone. One opinion I have that might be unpopular is that HJW isn’t really photogenic, she always tends to look better in actual video footage than photos (the makeup, the lighting and the way the photos are processed possibly have something to do with it, she’s not the only one). You should see her in the behind-the-scenes footage, watch the way she talks and laughs with her mouth wide open in the way only she can, there has never been a sign of that typical stiffness that comes with Botox over the years, and certainly not recently. It’s quite easy to see really. I can spot quite a few other actresses (and male actors for that matter) who have used Botox over the years. There is a telltale tightness especially around the eyes and lips which is particular apparent when they talk.
If you watch enough dramas and movies, you’ll be able to pick them out quite easily. I am NOT going to name any of them (NOT any of HJW’s contemporaries, though; in my opinion the actresses of that generation are among the best-looking even as they age, a fact reflected in their continued popularity even in Japan as a recent poll showed) because I think it’s lame and small-minded to point out things which do not, in any way, affect an actor’s personality or ability. Whoever your bias is, I don’t know, but think about it, you’ll be sure to get annoyed and angry if someone were to make the same remarks about her, right?
I watched the first two eps of Curtain Call with my family and we’re hooked so far. Now, objectively speaking, even as a HJW fan I must say that none of the dramas she starred in count among my top favourite Korean dramas. It remains to see if Curtain Call will break that trend for me, but I do think it will still be one of the better ones. The reception elsewhere has so far been largely positive, but of course, different strokes for different folks, so for those who don’t like it that’s your freedom, but I wouldn’t be too quick to write it off or put it down yet, especially when it’s only two episodes in.
I don’t find the noona romance issue to be a problem here. HJW has always had much younger leading men and has always pulled it off fine, even with guys who look far younger and more boyish such as Lee Seung Gi and Kang Min Hyuk. Kang Ha Nuel looks pretty mature (this is not an insult at all, it’s a compliment and he looks mature in a handsome way) and they look perfectly compatible to me. As a side note, as mentioned earlier, HJW always appears younger in candid videos and BTS footage. She looks a little more mature in this drama due to the styling, but that’s just as well for her role – if she were to act too young she’d be criticized for not acting her age, right? You really can’t please everyone sometimes.